I don’t have all the details, but if you live in the Austin/Wimberley/Dripping Springs area, I highly recommend you check this out.

From the www.friendshipsforlife.org website: “With support from Friendships for Life, our Friends will participate in a new world where they will continue to learn employment skills, communication skills, how to develop friendships and adult living skills in order to build their greatest degree of independence.’

“Our main goal is to help our members of FFL find a path where they are able to serve their community. Each path is different, and each path requires educating not only the person themselves, but also those they come in contact with in order to help them achieve their goals.”

This group of adults with special needs meets four days a week to engage in all kinds of activities, from grocery shopping to going to the movies to serving in the local food bank. I had heard about them from a mom of one of the participants, and then I ran into them at the grocery store. And then I heard more about them from another mom. And then I ran into them at the library. They are having such a blast! Their motto? “I learn, I serve, I dream, I can!” A great motto for all of us, don’tcha think?

From their website, it looks like Friendships for Life based out of Church of the Springs has big, big plans for Dripping Springs, fostering a community where people from all abilities come together to work, to play, to serve and to support each other. We won’t be waiting until Noah (7 with Down syndrome) grows up to get involved with this group. I’m not sure what we’ll be able to do yet, but whatever it is, I can’t wait!

Is this a great time to be parenting a child with special needs in Texas or what?

Shhh. I’m trying to keep it a secret, but I did actually go to a yoga class at our friendly neighborhood YMCA.

I know, I know. What’s the big deal? Who isn’t doing yoga these days?

Well, you have to remember, I’m a card-carrying, ultra-conservative, homeschooling, dress-wearing Christian mom to 7+2, and in our circles, well, you just DON’T DO YOGA! The fact that yoga is so closely linked, whether people realize it or not, with Hinduism brands it with a big red X for most people like me.

I’ve never had the desire to do yoga (or any other exercise, for that matter), so it’s been easy to push it away and throw it into the bag of things I dare not do; but I’ve been doing a little examining of the contents of that bag lately and yoga is one thing I’m examining more closely. See, with people with Down syndrome living longer and longer, I will have to live to be approximately 106 in order to outlive Noah. With a resting heartrate of over 100, at this pace, I’m not going to make it. I’ve gotta start somewhere and yoga seemed like a good place. My first class was a huge success. Julie, the yoga instructor at the Dripping Springs Y who taught my class, met me at the door with a big serene smile and words of encouragement. She talked us through every little step in the class, and I felt completely at ease. Well, completely at ease until I mixed up my right and left foot. I left the class feeling soooo relaxed, and on the way home I realized I had completely range of movement in my neck – something I haven’t had in about five years. It was amazing!!!!

I also found a peculiar transformation in my thought process as well. I felt so relaxed and at peace after the class and had the desire to remain in that state. As we drove home and my mind started drifting to the stress inducing situations in my life, as soon as those thoughts entered my mind, they were met with a response along the lines of, “But I’m not going to let that rob me of the way I feel right now.” It wasn’t even a conscious decision on my part. And while I do find it imperitive to live in reality, not allowing stress to dominate my emotional state I think is not only a positive move but also a scriptural one.

6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Phillipians 4:6-7.

22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galations 5:22-23

23 “‘Everything is permissible”–but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”–but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake— 29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10: 23-31.

As a Christian, honestly I did feel a little uncomfortable with some of the verbiage and earth energy stuff, and I’m wondering if I can personally Christianize the yoga experience for myself. Any suggestions?

We were pipe dreamers. We wanted a house for a family of nine, with acreage, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, and it had to be within a ridiculously low budget.

Our agent searched high and low and never gave up on us. She didn’t try to convince us to increase our budget; she never told us to lower our expectations. Instead, as we nixed houses one by one, she encouraged us not to give up, saying over and over, “We’ll keep looking.” She kept us pressing on, month after month.

And then she found it. The house we were destined for, on the acreage we wanted, in my favorite little town in Texas, for considerably less than we were willing to pay.

In short, a miracle.

And she held our hand every step of the way, answering every question, making sure every T was crossed and every I was dotted. She had all the connections we needed and jumped in and helped us manage all the inspections, surveys, deadlines, paperwork and even our mortgage officer. She treated us and everyone we encountered along the way with wisdom, honesty and integrity.

Whether you need a miracle or just a realtor to find the home you’ve always dreamed of in the Texas Hill Country (Dripping Springs, Wimberley, San Marcos, Driftwood and Fischer) , remember this lady:

An extradorinary little boy, the ordinary people who love him, and their journey together through the world of visual learning and speech acquisition. (And in my "free time," vintage crochet, machine embroidery, digitizing and Etsy.)

Don't let the textbooks fool ya; little boys with Down syndrome are VERY clever!!!!

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps 19:14)